Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule
Self-care shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list! This is the show that helps you as a busy and dedicated female mental health therapist to redefine your approach to self-care. Because we need so much more than bubble baths and breathing exercises!
Hosted by Dr. Karen Dyck and Dr. Melissa Tiessen, clinical psychologists, founders of Intentional Therapist, and self-care advocates, our mission is to help you build a life where you thrive right alongside your clients, without guilt and without burning out. Join us as we explore practical strategies grounded in our 4 C’s model – Connection, Compassion, Courage, and Creativity – to help you create more space for yourself while continuing to support your clients.
Whether you work in a solo private practice, within a large organization, are a new grad, or are nearing retirement, this show has something for you. Tune in for short but valuable episodes filled with relatable and insightful new perspectives, actionable ‘self-care experiments’, and the encouragement and permission you need to put more of you back in your schedule and create a life from which you don’t need to escape.
To learn more about Intentional Therapist and our 4 C’s model of self-care, visit us at: www.intentionaltherapist.ca
[Please note: This podcast was previously called Thrivival 101, and you can continue to find our original interview episodes in this podcast feed.]
Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule
E26: What the movie Groundhog Day can teach us about therapist self-care
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you think, “Wait, didn’t I already do this yesterday? And all the days before?” Same alarm. Same email inbox. Same clients with eerily familiar struggles. Same promises to yourself that next week will be different. If that resonates, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not failing.
Today, we’re taking inspiration from the movie Groundhog Day to talk about self-care, burnout, and why so many therapists feel stuck in patterns that don’t seem to change — even though they’re working so hard to make things better.
Episode Highlights:
- How the movie Groundhog Day relates to therapist self-care
- Why insight alone isn’t enough to make changes - and what helps instead
- Why being human is better than being perfect
- Self-care experiments:
- The Ned Ryerson
- The Let’s Drink to World Peace
- The Nice Young Man From the Motor Club
- The Groundhog
February is Psychology Month! Join us for a free webinar on Friday February 6, 2026. (Or catch the replay any time in February.) Register at: https://www.subscribepage.com/psychologymonth2026
Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
https://www.intentionaltherapist.ca/ | intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/
Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist
Ready to upgrade your self-care? Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits! Because self-care is PART OF our jobs! More info at: https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study
Disclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.
